Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Émile-René Ménard, Louis Malteste, Louis-Auguste Girardot, Various Artists Maurice Réalier-Dumas. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. This 1897 lithograph serves as the cover for a monthly French art publication, featuring a distinct split composition.
About this work
On the left side, there’s a black-and-white drawing of a woman’s face and neck, with her hair flowing down like waves.
This is a magazine cover from 1897. On the left side, there’s a black-and-white drawing of a woman’s face and neck, with her hair flowing down like waves. The right side has text in red and black, listing names and prices for subscriptions.
The cover advertises a monthly art publication featuring original prints by modern artists. The text mentions four new prints inside, including one by Louis-Auguste Girardot.
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Overview
This 1897 lithograph serves as the cover for a monthly French art publication, featuring a distinct split composition. The left side presents a black-and-white drawing of a woman's face and neck in profile, characterized by flowing hair rendered in wave-like lines that evoke the Art Nouveau style. The right side is dedicated to typographic elements, displaying the publication's title, contributing artists, and subscription details in red and black ink.
The work is attributed to a collaborative effort involving Émile-René Ménard, Louis Malteste, Louis-Auguste Girardot, and Maurice Réalier-Dumas, reflecting the period's practice of featuring multiple artists in periodical design. Created during the height of the Belle Époque, this cover exemplifies the integration of fine art illustration with commercial printing. The piece functions primarily as an advertisement for the magazine, utilizing the aesthetic appeal of the female portrait to attract subscribers while clearly presenting logistical information.
As a set of four lithographs from this specific year, it documents the visual culture of late 19th-century French art journalism.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure, rendered without color, emphasizes the elegance of the female form, a common motif in fin‑de‑siècle visual culture. The surrounding text frames the image as promotional material, highlighting the magazine’s role in disseminating new lithographic works to a readership interested in modern art.
Technique & Style
Executed as a lithograph, the image relies on the contrast between inked lines and the paper’s white surface, allowing delicate gradations in the woman's hair and facial features. The design combines the precision of commercial typography with the expressive line work typical of late‑19th‑century French print artists.
History & Provenance
Created by a collaborative group that includes Maurice Réalier‑Dumas, Émile‑René Ménard, Louis Malteste, Louis‑Auguste Girardot and other contributors, the cover was produced for a monthly art periodical that offered original prints to subscribers. The artifact is now part of the collection at the Museum of Modern Art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Émile-René Ménard, Louis Malteste, Louis-Auguste Girardot, Various Artists Maurice Réalier-Dumas
Maurice Réalier-Dumas, Émile-René Ménard, Louis Malteste, Louis-Auguste Girardot, Various Artists (1860–1928) was a French artist.
